Configurationally controlled n,n&#39;-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic diimide compounds as n-type semiconductor materials for thin film transistors

ABSTRACT

A thin film transistor comprises a layer of organic semiconductor material comprising a configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide compound having a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic ring independently attached to each imide nitrogen atom with the proviso that at least one of the two alicyclic rings is necessarily a 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring in which a substituent at the 4-position is the sole substituent on the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring other than the imide attachment; with such substituent being stereochemically disposed as only one of either an essentially trans or cis position, respectively, to the imide nitrogen substituent. Such transistors can further comprise spaced apart first and second contact means or electrodes in contact with said material. Further disclosed is a process for fabricating an organic thin-film transistor device, preferably by sublimation deposition onto a substrate, wherein the substrate temperature is no more than 100° C.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the use of configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide compounds as semiconductor materials in n-channel semiconductor films for thin film transistors. The invention relates to the use of these materials in thin film transistors for electronic devices and methods of making such transistors and devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Thin film transistors (TFTs) are widely used as switching elements in electronics, for example, in active-matrix liquid-crystal displays, smart cards, and a variety of other electronic devices and components thereof. The thin film transistor (TFT) is an example of a field effect transistor (FET). The best-known example of an FET is the MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor-FET), today's conventional switching element for high-speed applications. Presently, most thin film devices are made using amorphous silicon as the semiconductor. Amorphous silicon is a less expensive alternative to crystalline silicon. This fact is especially important for reducing the cost of transistors in large-area applications. Application of amorphous silicon is limited to relatively low speed devices, however, since its maximum mobility (0.5-1.0 cm²/V sec) is about a thousand times smaller than that of crystalline silicon.

Although amorphous silicon is less expensive than highly crystalline silicon for use in TFTs, amorphous silicon still has its drawbacks. The deposition of amorphous silicon, during the manufacture of transistors, requires relatively costly processes, such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and high temperatures (about 360° C.) to achieve the electrical characteristics sufficient for display applications. Such high processing temperatures disallow the use of substrates for deposition that are made of certain plastics that might otherwise be desirable for use in applications such as flexible displays.

In the past decade, organic materials have received attention as a potential alternative to inorganic materials such as amorphous silicon for use in semiconductor channels of TFTs. Organic semiconductor materials are simpler to process, especially those that are soluble in organic solvents and, therefore, capable of being applied to large areas by far less expensive processes, such as spin coating, dip coating and microcontact printing. Furthermore organic materials may be deposited at lower temperatures, opening up a wider range of substrate materials, including plastics, for flexible electronic devices. Accordingly, thin film transistors made of organic materials can be viewed as a potential key technology for plastic circuitry in display drivers, portable computers, pagers, memory elements in transaction cards, and identification tags, where ease of fabrication, mechanical flexibility, and/or moderate operating temperatures are important considerations.

Organic materials for use as potential semiconductor channels in TFTs are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,144 to Garnier et al., entitled “Thin-Layer Field-Effect Transistors with MIS Structure Whose Insulator and Semiconductors Are Made of Organic Materials.”

Considerable efforts have been made to discover new organic semiconductor materials that can be used in TFTs to provide the switching and/or logic elements in electronic components, many of which require significant mobilities, well above 0.01 cm²/Vs, and current on/off ratios (hereinafter referred to as “on/off ratios”) greater than 1000. Organic TFTs having such properties are potentially capable of use for electronic applications such as pixel drivers for displays and identification tags. Most of the compounds exhibiting these desirable properties are “p-type” or “p-channel,” however, meaning that negative gate voltages, relative to the source voltage, are applied to induce positive charges (holes) in the channel region of the device.

As an alternative to p-type organic semiconductor materials, n-type organic semiconductor materials can be used in TFTs as an alternative to p-type organic semiconductor materials, where the terminology “n-type” or “n-channel” indicates that positive gate voltages, relative to the source voltage, are applied to induce negative charges in the channel region of the device.

Moreover, one important type of TFT circuit, known as a complementary circuit, requires an n-type semiconductor material in addition to a p-type semiconductor material. See Dodabalapur et al. in “Complementary circuits with organic transistors” Appl. Phys. Lett. 1996, 69, 4227. In particular, the fabrication of complementary circuits requires at least one p-channel TFT and at least one n-channel TFT. Simple components such as inverters have been realized using complementary circuit architecture. Advantages of complementary circuits, relative to ordinary TFT circuits, include lower power dissipation, longer lifetime, and better tolerance of noise. In such complementary circuits, it is often desirable to have the mobility and the on/off ratio of an n-channel device similar in magnitude to the mobility and the on/off ratio of a p-channel device. Hybrid complementary circuits using an organic p-type semiconductor and an inorganic n-type semiconductor are known, as described in Dodabalapur et al. (Appl. Phys. Lett. 1996, 68, 2264.), but for ease of fabrication, an organic n-channel semiconductor material would be desired in such circuits.

Only a limited number of organic materials have been developed for use as a semiconductor n-channel in TFTs. One such material, buckminsterfullerene C60, exhibits a mobility of 0.08 cm²/Vs but is considered unstable in air. See R. C. Haddon, A. S. Perel, R. C. Morris, T. T. M. Palstra, A. F. Hebard and R. M. Fleming, “C₆₀ Thin Film Transistors” Appl. Phys. Let. 1995, 67, 121. Perfluorinated copper phthalocyanine has a mobility of 0.03 cm²/Vs, and is generally stable to air operation, but substrates must be heated to temperatures above 100° C. in order to maximize the mobility in this material. See “New Air-Stable n-Channel Organic Thin Film Transistors” Z. Bao, A. J. Lovinger, and J. Brown J. Am. Chem, Soc. 1998, 120, 207. Other n-channel semiconductors, including some based on a naphthalene framework, have also been reported, but with lower mobilities. See Laquindanum et al., “n-Channel Organic Transistor Materials Based on Naphthalene Frameworks,” J. Am. Chem, Soc. 1996, 118, 11331. One such naphthalene-based n-channel semiconductor material, tetracyanonaphthoquino-dimethane (TCNNQD), is capable of operation in air, but the material has displayed a low on/off ratio and is also difficult to prepare and purify.

Aromatic tetracarboxylic diimides, based on a naphthalene aromatic framework, have been demonstrated to provide, as an n-type semiconductor, n-channel mobilities up to 0.16 cm²/Vs using top-contact configured devices where the source and drain electrodes are on top of the semiconductor. Comparable results could be obtained with bottom contact devices, that is, where the source and drain electrodes are underneath the semiconductor, but a thiol underlayer needed to be applied between the electrodes, which had to be gold, and the semiconductor. See Katz et al. “Naphthalenetetracarboxylic Diimide-Based n-Channel Transistor Semiconductors: Structural Variation and Thiol-Enhanced Gold Contacts” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000 122, 7787; “A Soluble and Air-stable Organic Semiconductor with High Electron Mobility” Nature 2000 404, 478; Katz et al., European Patent Application EP1041653 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,727. In the absence of the thiol underlayer, the mobility of the compounds of Katz et al. was found to be orders of magnitude lower in bottom-contact devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,727 B1 to Katz et al. discloses fused-ring tetracarboxylic diimide compounds, one example of which is N,N′-bis(4-trifluoromethyl benzyl)naphthalene-1,4,5,8,-tetracarboxylic acid diimide. Such compounds are easier to reduce. The highest mobilities reported in U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,727 B1 to Katz et al. was between 0.1 and 0.2 cm²/Vs, for N,N′-dioctyl naphthalene-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic acid diimide.

Relatively high mobilities have been measured in films of naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimides having linear alkyl side chains using pulse-radiolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements. See Struijk et al. “Liquid Crystalline Perylene Diimides: Architecture and Charge Carrier Mobilities” J. Am. Chem. Soc. Vol. 2000, 122, 11057.

Ser. No. 11/263,111 (not yet published) to Shukla et al. discloses a thin film of organic semiconductor material that comprises an N,N′-diaryl-substituted naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic diimide compound having a substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aromatic ring system directly attached to each imide nitrogen atom, wherein the substituents on at least one or both of the aromatic ring systems comprises at least one electron donating organic group.

U.S. Patent Publication 2006-0237712 A1 to Shukla et al. discloses a thin film of organic semiconductor material that comprises an N,N′-di(arylalkyl)-substituted naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic diimide compound having a substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aromatic ring system attached to each imide nitrogen atom through a divalent hydrocarbon group, wherein any optional substituents on the aryl rings comprises at least one electron donating organic group.

Ser. No. 11/285,238 to Shukla et al. discloses a thin film of organic semiconductor material that comprises an N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compound having a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic carbocyclic (alicyclic) ring system attached to each imide nitrogen atom in which an optional substituent or substituents on each ring comprises at least one electron donating organic group.

The above-mentioned organic thin films by Shukla et al. are capable of exhibiting, in the film form, the highest known field-effect electron mobility compared to reported values, up to 5.0 cm²/Vs, for known n-type compounds.

US Patent Pub. No. 2002/0164835 A1 to Dimitrakopoulos et al. discloses improved n-channel semiconductor films made of perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimide compounds, as compared to naphthalene-based compounds, one example of which is N,N′-di(n-1H,1H-perfluorooctyl) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid diimide. Substituents attached to the imide nitrogens in the diimide structure comprise alkyl chains, electron deficient alkyl groups, and electron deficient benzyl groups, the chains preferably having a length of four to eighteen atoms. Devices based on materials having a perylene framework used as the organic semiconductor have led to low mobilities, for example 10⁻⁵ cm²/Vs for perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and 1.5×10⁻⁵ cm²/Vs for N,N′-diphenyl perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimide (PTCDI-Ph). See Horowitz et al. in “Evidence for n-Type Conduction in a Perylene Tetracarboxylic Diimide Derivative” Adv. Mater. 1996, 8, 242 and Ostrick, et al. J. Appl. Phys. 1997, 81, 6804. See also US Patent publication 2006/0134823 A1 and 2006/0131564 A1 for perylene-based semiconductor materials in which the substituents on the imide nitrogens are aryl or phenylalkyl groups.

US Patent Publ. No. 2005/0176970 A1 to Marks et al. discloses improved n-channel semiconductor films made of mono and diimide perylene and naphthalene compounds, nitrogen and core substituted with electron withdrawing groups. Substituents attached to the imide nitrogens in the diimide structure can be selected from alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl and substituted aryl moieties. However, Marks et al. do not see any comparative advantage of using cycloalkyl groups on the imide nitrogens. Accordingly, mobilities obtained from perylene diimides containing of N-octyl and N-cyclohexyl are virtually indistinguishable (page 10, Column 1, Example 10). Furthermore, the highest mobilities reported in US Patent Pub. No. 2005/0176970 A1 to Marks et al. were 0.2 cm²/Vs. Marks et al. show no experimental data with respect to naphthalene compounds, but require that their core be dicyano disubstituted.

As is clear from aforementioned description development of new semiconducting materials, both p-type and n-type, continues to be an enormous topic of interest. So far, amongst a variety of p-type materials, the highest charge carrier mobility (ca. 1.0 cm²/V-s) in thin film transistors has been observed with pentacene. However, the poor stability and reproducibility of pentacene-based OTFTs limit pentacene's commercial potential. Recently, Anthony et al. have reported a series of solution processable pentacene and anthradithioene derivatives with silylethynyl-substituted structures (see Payne et al J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 4986). The stability and the charge mobility have been improved relative to that of the parent molecules, owing to the enhanced π-stacking crystal packing. This is one of several promising molecular design approaches currently being explored. A recent molecular modeling study (see Deng, et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 8614) of the relationship between the charge mobility and crystal packing of pentacene indicates that higher charge mobility in pentacene molecule is possible with densely packed crystal structure, but to create such an ideal packing structure with pentacene is impossible.

Control of molecular packing on charge transport in organic semiconducting materials continues to be a factor under consideration in developing new materials. So far, the effects of bulk crystal structure and film deposition temperature remain probably the most effective methods for controlling thin film morphologies, and hence performance, of organic thin film transistors

There remains a need in the art for improved performance of organic semiconductor materials in organic thin film transistors and improved technology for their manufacture and use.

It is well understood in the art (e.g., Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds, E. L. Eliel, Chapter 8 (1962) McGraw-Hill Co.) that minimally constrained cyclohexane structures adopt a chair-like conformation as displayed herein below. In this chair conformation, ring hydrogens or substituents are disposed in either axial or equatorial orientations. The ring on the left in the figure shows the A groups in the axial orientations, nearly perpendicular to the general plane of the cyclohexyl ring, while the B-groups are displayed in equatorial orientations, more nearly co-planar with the general plane of the ring. In the case depicted, the rings can interconvert via a well-understood process, with the two forms establishing an equilibrium mixture represented as follows:

This mixture of the two chair forms can favor one conformation over the other based on the chemical nature of the substituents. Hypothetically, when A and B are the same, the mixture will be composed of 50% of each conformational component. When A and B are sufficiently different, however, the mixture may be viewed as completely one conformer. For example, in the case where a cyclohexane ring bears only one substituent, in virtually all known instances that substituent favors an equatorial orientation. In the general case of cyclohexane rings displaying two or more substituents, various conformational mixtures may result, depending on the chemical nature of those substituents. In the more specific case of 1,4-disubstituted cyclohexanes, the substituents may be stereochemically disposed either on the same side of the ring, the cis configuration, or on opposite sides of the cyclohexane ring, the trans configuration. In this latter case (the trans configuration) due to the above considerations, the two trans-substituents can adopt either an axial-axial or an equatorial-equatorial conformation, with this latter conformation predominating in virtually all known instances of such a case. In the former case (the cis configuration), due to the above considerations, the two cis-substituents can only adopt an axial-equatorial configuration, however, in which one of differing substituents can be either in the axial or equatorial position. More particularly, a substituent that is on the C-4 position relative to a larger ring system such as in a naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide ring system, the conformation in which the larger ring system is equatorial and the C-4 substituent is axial tends to predominate

The configuration as well as the conformations of substituted cyclohexane derivatives can be analyzed using a variety of spectroscopic techniques, e.g., see L. M. Jackman's Applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Organic Chemistry, 2^(nd) Edition, Pergamon Press (1969) p. 238. In practice the preparation of very pure cis or trans-1,4-substituted cyclohexanes can be problematic, and often mixtures, to some extent, of cis and trans substituted compounds are prepared. In the present case, mixtures that are more than 70 mole percent, preferably more than 80 mole percent, and more preferably more than 90 mole-percent trans will be considered essentially pure trans. Similarly, for the cis configuration, the term “essentially pure” will refer to the same mole percents, as determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that configurationally controlled N,N′-disubstituted-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid diimides exhibit superior n-type semiconducting properties in a thin film transistor device compared to configurationally mixed 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid diimides, in the case of such compounds bearing a 4-substituted cyclohexyl group on one or both imide nitrogens. The 4-substituent on those cyclohexyl rings adopt predominantly an equatorial orientation in the trans configuration of the cyclohexyl ring and an axial orientation in the cis configuration of the cyclohexyl ring.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to n-channel semiconductor films for use in organic thin film transistors, comprising N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds in which there is independently, directly attached to (or substituted on) each of the two imide nitrogens, an aliphatic carbocyclic ring system (i.e., an alicyclic group having 4 to 10 carbons in the ring, for example, a cyclohexyl ring which has 6 carbon atoms in the ring), with the proviso that one of these alicyclic rings, referred to as the primary alicyclic ring, is necessarily a 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring relative to the attachment to the imide nitrogen (wherein the 4-substituent is the sole substituent relative to the imide attachment) in which such 4-substituent adopts either essentially trans or essentially cis, but not both, to the imide nitrogen substituent. The other of the two alicyclic rings, other than the primary cycloalkyl ring, is referred to as the secondary alicyclic ring and may be independently substituted or unsubstituted. Substitution on one or optionally both aliphatic carbocyclic ring systems can include various groups that do not adversely effect the desired semiconductor properties of the material, it being understood that by “adversely effect” is meant results in a significantly or unduly adverse effect, since some tradeoff in desirable properties or marginal changes in properties may be acceptable as long as the desired effects are achieved. Semiconductor films made from such compounds are capable of exhibiting, in the film form, effective field-effect electron mobility, up to 2.0 cm²/Vs or more. Such semiconductor films are also capable of providing device on/off ratios in the range of 10⁵ or more.

One aspect of the present invention is related to the use of such n-channel semiconductor films in organic thin film transistors each comprising spaced apart first and second contact means connected to an n-channel semiconductor film. A third contact means can be spaced from said first and second contact means and adapted for controlling, by means of a voltage applied to the third contact means, a current between the first and second contact means through said film. The first, second, and third contact means can correspond to a drain, source, and gate electrode in a field effect transistor.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a process for fabricating a thin film transistor, preferably by sublimation or solution-phase deposition of the n-channel semiconductor film onto a substrate, wherein the substrate temperature is preferably at a temperature of no more than 100° C. during the deposition.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a thin film transistor in which a thin film of organic semiconductor material comprises a configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide compound having a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic carbocyclic (alicyclic) ring system independently attached to each imide nitrogen atom with the proviso that one of these alicyclic rings is necessarily a 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring which is the sole substituent other than the imide attachment; with such substituent adopting only one of either essentially trans or cis position, respectively, to the imide nitrogen substituent.

Advantageously, an n-channel semiconductor film used in a transistor device according to the present invention does not necessarily require as in certain prior art devices, in order to obtain high mobilities, prior treatment of the first and second contact means connected to the film, which treatment is optional. Furthermore, the compounds used in the present invention possess significant volatility so that vapor phase deposition, where desired, is available to apply the n-channel semiconductor films to a substrate in an organic thin film transistor.

As used herein, “a” or “an” or “the” are used interchangeably with “at least one,” to mean “one or more” of the element being modified.

As used herein, the terms “over,” “above,” and “under” and the like, with respect to layers in the organic thin film transistor, refer to the order of the layers, wherein the organic thin film layer is above the gate electrode, but do not necessarily indicate that the layers are immediately adjacent or that there are no intermediate layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings wherein identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical or analogous features that are common to the figures, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a typical organic thin film transistor having a bottom contact configuration; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a typical organic thin film transistor having a top contact configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Cross-sectional views of typical organic thin film transistor are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein FIG. 1 illustrates a typical bottom contact configuration and FIG. 2 illustrates a typical top contact configuration.

Each thin film transistor (TFT) in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 contains a source electrode 20, a drain electrode 30, a gate electrode 44, a gate dielectric 56, a substrate 28, and the semiconductor 70 of the invention in the form of a film connecting the source electrode 20 to drain electrode 30, which semiconductor comprises a compound selected from the class of configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds described herein.

When the TFT operates in an accumulation mode, the charges injected from the source electrode into the semiconductor are mobile and a current flows from source to drain, mainly in a thin channel region within about 100 Angstroms of the semiconductor-dielectric interface. See A. Dodabalapur, L. Torsi H. E. Katz, Science 1995, 268, 270, hereby incorporated by reference. In the configuration of FIG. 1, the charge need only be injected laterally from the source electrode 20 to form the channel. In the absence of a gate field the channel ideally has few charge carriers; as a result there is ideally no source-drain conduction.

The off current is defined as the current flowing between the source electrode 20 and the drain electrode 30 when charge has not been intentionally injected into the channel by the application of a gate voltage. For an accumulation-mode TFT, this occurs for a gate-source voltage more negative, assuming an n-channel, than a certain voltage known as the threshold voltage. See Sze in Semiconductor Devices—Physics and Technology, John Wiley & Sons (1981), pages 438-443. The on current is defined as the current flowing between the source electrode 20 and the drain electrode 30 when charge carriers have been accumulated intentionally in the channel by application of an appropriate voltage to the gate electrode 44, and the channel is conducting. For an n-channel accumulation-mode TFT, this occurs at gate-source voltage more positive than the threshold voltage. It is desirable for this threshold voltage to be zero, or slightly positive, for n-channel operation. Switching between on and off is accomplished by the application and removal of an electric field from the gate electrode 44 across the gate dielectric 56 to the semiconductor-dielectric interface, effectively charging a capacitor.

In accordance with the invention, the organic semiconductor materials used in the present invention, when used in the form of an n-channel film, can exhibit high performance under inert conditions without the need for optional special chemical underlayers.

The improved n-channel semiconductor film of the present invention, comprising the configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds (or N,N′-dicycloalkyl-1,4,5,8-naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic acid diimide compounds) described herein, are capable of exhibiting a field effect electron mobility greater than 0.01 cm²/Vs, preferably greater than 0.1 cm²/Vs. More preferably films comprising the compounds of the present invention exhibit a field effect electron mobility that is greater than 1.0 cm²/Vs.

In addition, the n-channel semiconductor film of the invention is capable of providing on/off ratios of at least 10⁴, advantageously at least 10⁵. The on/off ratio is measured as the maximum/minimum of the drain current as the gate voltage is swept from zero to 80 volts and the drain-source voltage is held at a constant value of 80 volts, and employing a silicon dioxide gate dielectric.

Moreover, these properties are attainable after repeated exposure of the n-type semiconductor material to air, before film deposition, as well as exposure of the transistor device and/or the channel layer to air after deposition.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, there are several factors that are believed to contribute to the desirable properties of the naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic acid diimide compounds of the present invention. The solid-state structure of the material has the individual molecules packed such that the orbitals of the conjugated naphthalene core system containing the naphthalene ring system and/or the imide carboxyl groups are able to interact with adjacent molecules, resulting in high mobility. The direction of this interaction has a component parallel to the direction of desired current flow in a device using this material as the active layer. The morphology of the films formed by the material is substantially continuous, such that current flows through the material without unacceptable interruption. The substituent stereochemistry as controlled in the molecules of the invention does not disrupt the intrinsic ability of these molecules to pack in an effective crystalline motif.

The lowest lying unoccupied molecular orbital of the compound is at an energy that allows for injection of electrons at useful voltages from metals with reasonable work functions. This conjugated structure generally has a desirable lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level of about 3.5 eV to about 4.6 eV with reference to the vacuum energy level. As known in the art, LUMO energy level and reduction potential approximately describe the same characteristics of a material. LUMO energy level values are measured with reference to the vacuum energy level, and reduction potential values are measured in solution versus a standard electrode. An advantage for device applications is that the LUMO in the crystalline solid, which is the conduction band of the semiconductor, and the electron affinity of the solid both are measured with reference to the vacuum level. The latter parameters are usually different from the former parameters, which are obtained from solution.

As indicated above, the present invention is directed to an article comprising a thin film transistor in which a thin film of organic semiconductor material comprises configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds having a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl ring attached directly to each imide nitrogen atom. The two alicyclic ring systems can differ, and the secondary alicyclic ring system can independently have different substitution, additional substitution, or no substitution. Preferably, however, each alicyclic ring system is the same, although the substitution on each ring system may differ. In one embodiment of the present invention, a preferred class of N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic diimide compounds represented by the following general Structures I(a) and I(b):

In the above structures, it will be evident that a boldly (triangularly) solid bond lines attached to the cyclohexyl ring represent a bond coming towards the viewer while a dotted bond line represents a bond going away from the viewer, such that the two boldly solid lines in Structure I(b) represents a cis configuration and one boldly solid line in Structure I(a) represents a trans configuration. In Structures I (both I(a) and I(b) above), R⁴ is any suitable inorganic or organic substituent; A₁ is a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic ring system comprising 4 to 10 carbons in the ring. Preferably, the alicyclic ring systems are unbridged monocyclic or bridged bicyclic ring systems. Examples of alicyclic ring systems include cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, or cycloheptyl, as well as bridged alicyclic hydrocarbon systems such as bicyclo [4.4.0] decane. Preferably A₁ is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclohexyl ring, which if having two or more substituents can be cis, trans, or a cis-trans mixture (if A1 does not have a second substitutent, then cis and trans isomerism nomenclature does not readily apply), it being understood that the normal bond line to the A1 ring system includes the possibility of essentially trans configuration, essentially cis configuration, an otherwise mixture of the two between molecules, a mixture within the same molecule (if more than two substituents), or the absence of cis-trans configuration on the A₁ ring altogether (if not more than one substituent, not including hydrogen). Two substituents on A1 can form a fused aryl or cycloalkyl ring which in turn can be substituted or unsubstituted.

In the above Structures I, a primary and a secondary dicarboxylic imide moiety are attached on opposite sides of the naphthalene nucleus, at the 1,4 and 5,8 positions of the naphthalene nucleus. The naphthalene nucleus can be optionally substituted with up to four independently selected Y groups, wherein m is any integer from 0 to 4. Preferably Y groups are independently selected from suitable groups that do not unduly adversely affect the n-type semiconductor properties of the film made from such compounds.

In one particularly useful embodiment, a preferred class of N,N′-cycloalkyl naphthalene-based tetracarboxylic diimide compounds useful in the present invention are represented by Structures II(a) and (b):

wherein R⁴ (on the primary cyclohexyl ring) is any suitable substituent as defined above and R⁸ (on the secondary cyclohexyl ring system) is independently H or any substituent. In this particular embodiment, the cyclohexyl ring in Structures II(a) and (b) other than the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring is either not substituted or, like the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring, has a sole substituent other than the attachment at the imine nitrogen, that is, both of the primary and secondary cyclohexyl ring systems in the compound comprise a single substituent other than the attachment at the imine nitrogen. Thus, both alicyclic rings are configurationally controlled in Structures II.

Examples of particular compounds useful in the present invention include N,N′-(trans-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide, N,N′-(trans-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide, or N,N′-(cis-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide.

In Structures I and II, the Y groups are independently selected from any suitable groups. The Y substituent groups on the naphthalene nucleus can include, for example, alkyl groups, alkenyl, alkoxy groups, aryl groups, arylalkyl groups, halogens such as fluorine or chlorine, cyano, fluorine-containing groups such as CF₃, carbonyl-containing or carboxy-containing groups, or any other groups that do not affect the n-type semiconductor properties of the film made from such compounds. Y groups can also be selected from any of the R groups mentioned below. It is advantageous to avoid substituents that tend to interfere with close approach of the conjugated cores of the compounds in a stacked arrangement of the molecules that is conducive to semiconductor properties. Such substituents to be avoided include highly branched groups, ring structures and groups having more than 12 atoms, particularly where such groups or rings would be oriented to pose a significant steric barrier to the close approach of the conjugated cores. In addition, substituent groups are less preferred or should be avoided that substantially lower the solubility and/or volatility of the compounds such that the desirable fabrication processes are prevented.

In Structures I, II or III above, substituent R⁴ or R⁸ or any optional additional substituents on the secondary alicyclic ring can, for example, be selected from organic or inorganic groups. Suitable groups include but are not limited to alkyl groups, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy groups, aryl groups, arylalkyl groups, halogens such as fluorine or chlorine, nitro, amino, sulfo, cyano, fluorine-containing groups such as CF₃, carbonyl-containing or carboxy-containing groups, or any other groups that do not significantly adversely affect the n-type semiconductor properties of the film made from such compounds. Preferred organic groups include, for example, a C₁-C₈ organic substituent, more preferably a C₁-C₄ organic substituent, most preferably alkyl substituents. More specific examples of organic groups include, for example, CH₃, linear or branched C₂-C₈ alkyl, C₁-C₈ alkylene (a monovalent unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon), substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or hexyl, or C₁-C₈ alkoxy, C₁-C₈ carbonyl and carboxy substituents. Preferred inorganic groups include nitro, fluorine, cyano, amino, and sulfo, for example. Also envisioned are R⁸ groups that are themselves an N,N′-cycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide moiety in which one of the imide nitrogen groups in the R⁸ group is the point of attachment to the cyclohexyl group either directly or indirectly, for example bis compounds based on a central moiety (for example, comprising the secondary cyclohexyl ring, as in Compound I-13 or I-16 below) that is disubstituted with two N,N′-cycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide moieties.

Unless otherwise specifically stated, use of the term “substituted” or “substituent” means any group or atom other than hydrogen. Additionally, when the term “group” is used, it means that when a substituent group contains a substitutable hydrogen, it is also intended to encompass not only the substituents unsubstituted form, but also its form to the extent it can be further substituted (up to the maximum possible number) with any other mentioned substituent group or groups (mentioned for the same position) so long as the substituent does not destroy properties necessary for semiconductor utility. If desired, the substituents may themselves be further substituted one or more times with acceptable substituent groups. For example, an alkyl group can be substituted with an alkoxy group or one or more fluorine atoms, in the case of R⁴ or R⁸ or other R group (optional additional substituents in the secondary alicyclic ring, four additional R groups in the case where the secondary alicyclic ring is a cyclohexyl ring) or in the case of a Y group. When a molecule may have two or more substituents, the substituents may be joined together to form an aliphatic or unsaturated ring unless otherwise provided.

With respect to the R groups or Y groups, examples of any of the above-mentioned alkyl groups, except as otherwise indicated, are methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, and congeners. Alkyl groups, preferably having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 4, are intended to include branched or linear groups. Alkenyl groups can be vinyl, 1-propenyl, 1-butenyl, 2-butenyl, and congeners.

With respect to Y groups, aryl groups can be phenyl, naphthyl, styryl, and congeners. Arylalkyl groups can be benzyl, phenethyl, and congeners. Useful substituents on any of the foregoing include alkoxy and the like.

Specific illustrative examples of useful N,N′-bicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) derivatives are shown, but not limited, by the formulae below:

I-1

I-2

I-3

I-4

I-5

I-6

I-7

I-8

I-9

I-10

I-11

I-12

I-13

I-14

I-15

I-16

I-17

I-18

I-19

I-20

I-21

I-22

I-23

I-24

I-25

Configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds used in this invention can be conveniently prepared, for example, by reacting, at an elevated temperature for a sufficient period of time, a mixture of commercially available 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid anhydride and a configurationally controlled (cis or trans) 4-substituted cyclohexylamine in a suitable solvent. The skilled artisan can thereby obtain using conventional techniques involving separation and purification, the desired product. The resulting material can be proved to be homogenous and characterized by the desired structural configuration by standard chromatographic and spectral determinations.

Similarly, a compound having different alicyclic rings can be prepared by reacting a mixture of known 1,8-N-cyclohexylcarboximido-4,5-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid anhydride with a configurationally controlled 4-substituted cyclohexylamine in solvent. The resulting slurry can be filtered; washed, air dried, and recrystallized as appropriate to provide the desired product as a solid material that is consistent with its assigned structure.

The specific preparations described below in the Examples are included for reference, by analogy, also as general methods for the preparation of various compounds of the invention. These methods are not meant to be limiting, however, since compounds of the invention can prepared by other methods or my minor variants of the included procedures, including via well-established methods in the art.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the process for the production of semiconductor components and electronic devices incorporating such components. In one embodiment, a substrate is provided and a layer of the semiconductor material as described above can be applied to the substrate, electrical contacts being made with the layer. The exact process sequence is determined by the structure of the desired semiconductor component. Thus, in the production of an organic field effect transistor, for example, a gate electrode can be first deposited on a flexible substrate, for example an organic polymer film, the gate electrode can then be insulated with a dielectric and then source and drain electrodes and a layer of the n-channel semiconductor material can be applied on top. The structure of such a transistor and hence the sequence of its production can be varied in the customary manner known to a person skilled in the art. Thus, alternatively, a gate electrode can be deposited first, followed by a gate dielectric, then the organic semiconductor can be applied, and finally the contacts for the source electrode and drain electrode deposited on the semiconductor layer. A third structure could have the source and drain electrodes deposited first, then the organic semiconductor, with dielectric and gate electrode deposited on top.

The skilled artisan will recognize other structures can be constructed and/or intermediate surface modifying layers can be interposed between the above-described components of the thin film transistor. In most embodiments, a field effect transistor comprises an insulating layer, a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer comprising an organic material as described herein, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, wherein the insulating layer, the gate electrode, the semiconductor layer, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are in any sequence as long as the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer both contact the insulating layer, and the source electrode and the drain electrode both contact the semiconductor layer.

A support can be used for supporting the OTFT during manufacturing, testing, and/or use. The skilled artisan will appreciate that a support selected for commercial embodiments may be different from one selected for testing or screening various embodiments. In some embodiments, the support does not provide any necessary electrical function for the TFT. This type of support is termed a “non-participating support” in this document. Useful materials can include organic or inorganic materials. For example, the support may comprise inorganic glasses, ceramic foils, polymeric materials, filled polymeric materials, coated metallic foils, acrylics, epoxies, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyimides, polyketones, poly(oxy-1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenylenecarbonyl-1,4-phenylene) (sometimes referred to as poly(ether ether ketone) or PEEK), polynorbornenes, polyphenyleneoxides, poly(ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate) (PEN), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS), and fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP).

A flexible support is used in some embodiments of the present invention. This allows for roll processing, which may be continuous, providing economy of scale and economy of manufacturing over flat and/or rigid supports. The flexible support chosen preferably is capable of wrapping around the circumference of a cylinder of less than about 50 cm diameter, more preferably 25 cm diameter, most preferably 10 cm diameter, without distorting or breaking, using low force as by unaided hands. The preferred flexible support may be rolled upon itself.

In some embodiments of the invention, the support is optional. For example, in a top construction as in FIG. 2, when the gate electrode and/or gate dielectric provides sufficient support for the intended use of the resultant TFT, the support is not required. In addition, the support may be combined with a temporary support. In such an embodiment, a support may be detachably adhered or mechanically affixed to the support, such as when the support is desired for a temporary purpose, e.g., manufacturing, transport, testing, and/or storage. For example, a flexible polymeric support may be adhered to a rigid glass support, which support could be removed.

The gate electrode can be any useful conductive material. A variety of gate materials known in the art, are also suitable, including metals, degenerately doped semiconductors, conducting polymers, and printable materials such as carbon ink or silver-epoxy. For example, the gate electrode may comprise doped silicon, or a metal, such as aluminum, chromium, gold, silver, nickel, palladium, platinum, tantalum, and titanium. Conductive polymers also can be used, for example polyaniline, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). In addition, alloys, combinations, and multilayers of these materials may be useful.

In some embodiments of the invention, the same material can provide the gate electrode function and also provide the support function of the support. For example, doped silicon can function as the gate electrode and support the OTFT.

The gate dielectric is provided on the gate electrode. This gate dielectric electrically insulates the gate electrode from the balance of the OTFT device. Thus, the gate dielectric comprises an electrically insulating material. The gate dielectric should have a suitable dielectric constant that can vary widely depending on the particular device and circumstance of use. For example, a dielectric constant from about 2 to 100 or even higher is known for a gate dielectric. Useful materials for the gate dielectric may comprise, for example, an inorganic electrically insulating material. The gate dielectric may comprise a polymeric material, such as polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF), cyanocelluloses, polyimides, etc. The gate electric may comprise a plurality of layers of different materials having different dielectric constants.

Specific examples of materials useful for the gate dielectric include strontiates, tantalates, titanates, zirconates, aluminum oxides, silicon oxides, tantalum oxides, titanium oxides, silicon nitrides, barium titanate, barium strontium titanate, barium zirconate titanate, zinc selenide, and zinc sulfide. In addition, alloys, combinations, and multilayers of these examples can be used for the gate dielectric. Of these materials, aluminum oxides, silicon oxides, and zinc selenide are preferred. In addition, polymeric materials such as polyimides, and insulators that exhibit a high dielectric constant. Such insulators are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,970 hereby incorporated by reference.

The gate dielectric can be provided in the OTFT as a separate layer, or formed on the gate such as by oxidizing the gate material to form the gate dielectric. The dielectric layer may comprise two or more layers having different dielectric constants.

The source electrode and drain electrode are separated from the gate electrode by the gate dielectric, while the organic semiconductor layer can be over or under the source electrode and drain electrode. The source and drain electrodes can be any useful conductive material. Useful materials include most of those materials described above for the gate electrode, for example, aluminum, barium, calcium, chromium, gold, silver, nickel, palladium, platinum, titanium, polyaniline, PEDOT:PSS, other conducting polymers, alloys thereof, combinations thereof, and multilayers thereof.

The thin film electrodes (e.g., gate electrode, source electrode, and drain electrode) can be provided by any useful means such as physical vapor deposition (e.g., thermal evaporation, sputtering) or ink jet printing. The patterning of these electrodes can be accomplished by known methods such as shadow masking, additive photolithography, subtractive photolithography, printing, microcontact printing, and pattern coating.

The organic semiconductor layer can be provided over or under the source and drain electrodes, as described above in reference to the thin film transistor article. The present invention also provides an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of OTFTs made by the process described herein. The n-channel semiconductor material made using the above-described N,N′-cycloalkyl naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) compounds are capable of being formed on any suitable substrate which can comprise the support and any intermediate layers such as a dielectric or insulator material, including those known in the art.

The entire process of making the thin film transistor or integrated circuit of the present invention can be carried out below a maximum support temperature of about 450° C., preferably below about 250° C., more preferably below about 150° C., and even more preferably below about 100° C., or even at temperatures around room temperature (about 25° C. to 70° C.). The temperature selection generally depends on the support and processing parameters known in the art, once one is armed with the knowledge of the present invention contained herein. These temperatures are well below traditional integrated circuit and semiconductor processing temperatures, which enables the use of any of a variety of relatively inexpensive supports, such as flexible polymeric supports. Thus, the invention enables production of relatively inexpensive integrated circuits containing organic thin film transistors with significantly improved performance.

Compounds used in the invention can be readily processed and are thermally stable to such as extent that they can be vaporized. The compounds possess significant volatility, so that vapor phase deposition, where desired, is readily achieved. Such compounds can be deposited onto substrates by vacuum sublimation.

Deposition by a rapid sublimation method is also possible. One such method is to apply a vacuum of 35 mtorr to a chamber containing a substrate and a source vessel that holds the compound in powdered form, and heat the vessel over several minutes until the compound sublimes onto the substrate. Generally, the most useful compounds form well-ordered films, with amorphous films being less useful.

Devices in which the n-channel semiconductor films of the invention are useful include especially thin film transistors (TFTs), especially organic field effect thin-film transistors. Also, such films can be used in various types of devices having organic p-n junctions, such as described on pages 13 to 15 of US 2004,0021204 A1 to Liu, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference.

Electronic devices in which TFTs and other devices are useful include, for example, more complex circuits, e.g., shift registers, integrated circuits, logic circuits, smart cards, memory devices, radio-frequency identification tags, backplanes for active matrix displays, active-matrix displays (e.g. liquid crystal or OLED), solar cells, ring oscillators, and complementary circuits, such as inverter circuits, for example, in combination with other transistors made using available p-type organic semiconductor materials such as pentacene. In an active matrix display, a transistor according to the present invention can be used as part of voltage hold circuitry of a pixel of the display. In devices containing the TFTs of the present invention, such TFTs are operatively connected by means known in the art.

The present invention further provides a method of making any of the electronic devices described above. Thus, the present invention is embodied in an article that comprises one or more of the TFTs described.

Advantages of the invention will be demonstrated by the following examples, which are intended to be exemplary.

EXAMPLES A. Material Synthesis Preparation of Bis-N,N′-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-Naphthodiimide (Compound I-1)

A mixture of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid anhydride (1.34 g, 5.00 mmol; CAS 81-30-1; Aldrich Chemical Co.) and trans-4-methylcyclohexylamine (4 mL, ca. 30 mmol; CAS 2523-55-9), which compound is commercially available or can be made based on preparations under the CAS number, in 12 mL N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) were heated at 140-150° C. for four hours. The mixture was cooled then diluted with several volumes of methanol. The resulting slurry was filtered; the collected solid washed with methanol and air dried. The crude product was recrystallized from 100 mL of DMAc to provide the desired product as pale green plates (1.86 g, 81%). This material proved to be substantially chromatographically homogenous and displayed spectral characteristic consistent with its assigned structure.

In comparison, a comparative compound, Compound C-1 below, was prepared in a similar manner except that the amine was a normal cis-trans mixture that is commercially available.

It is noted that the squiggly line on the right-hand cyclohexyl ring represents a cis-trans mixture. In this case, the bold bond lines do not determine a configuration, since they are indistinguishable from dotted lines in this case.

Preparation of N-cyclohexyl-N′-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-Naphthodiimide (Compound I-2)

A mixture of 1,8-N-cyclohexylcarboximido-4,5-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid anhydride (1.75 g, 5.00 mmol; CAS 273377-29-0) and tran-4-methylcyclohexylamine (2 mL, ca. 15 mmol; CAS 2523-55-9) in 6 mL DMAc were heated at 135-140° C. for one hour. The mixture was cooled then diluted with several volumes of methanol. The resulting slurry was filtered; the collected solid washed with methanol and air dried. The crude product was recrystallized from 270 mL of 1-pentanol to provide the desired product as a cream-colored solid (1.82 g, 82%). This material proved to be substantially chromatographically homogenous and displayed spectral characteristic consistent with its assigned structure.

In comparison, a comparative compound, C-2 below, was prepared in a similar manner except that the amine was a normal cis-trans mixture that is commercially available.

The initially prepared materials were then purified by train sublimation at 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁶ torr prior to device fabrication.

B. Device Preparation

In order to test the electrical characteristics of the various materials of this invention, field-effect transistors were typically made using the top-contact geometry. The substrate used is a heavily doped silicon wafer, which also serves as the gate of the transistor. The gate dielectric is a thermally grown SiO₂ layer with a thickness of 185 nm. It has been previously shown for both p-type and n-type transistors that electrical properties can be improved by treating the surface of the gate dielectric. For most of the experiments described here, the oxide surface was treated with a thin (<10 nm), spin-coated polymer layer, or a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). Typically, an untreated oxide sample was included in the experiments for comparison.

The active layer of naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide was deposited via vacuum deposition in a thermal evaporator. The deposition rate was 0.1 Angstroms per second while the substrate temperature was held at 20° C. for most experiments. The thickness of the active layer was a variable in some experiments, but was typically 17-25 nm. Gold contacts of thickness 50 nm were deposited through a shadow mask. The channel width was held at 420 microns, while the channel lengths were varied between 50 and 175 microns. Some experiments were performed to look at the effect of other contact materials. A few devices were made with a bottom-contact geometry, in which the contacts were deposited prior to the active material.

C. Device Measurement and Analysis

Electrical characterization of the fabricated devices was performed with a Hewlett Packard HP 4145b® parameter analyzer. The probe measurement station was held in a positive argon environment for all measurements with the exception of those purposely testing the stability of the devices in air. The measurements were performed under sulfur lighting unless sensitivity to white light was being investigated. The devices were exposed to air prior to testing.

For each experiment performed, between 4 and 12 individual devices were tested on each sample prepared, and the results were averaged. For each device, the drain current (Id) was measured as a function of source-drain voltage (V_(d)) for various values of gate voltage (V_(g)). For most devices, V_(d) was swept from 0 V to 80 V for each of the gate voltages measured, typically 0 V, 20 V, 40 V, 60 V, and 80 V. In these measurements, the gate current (I_(g)) was also recorded in order to detect any leakage current through the device. Furthermore, for each device the drain current was measured as a function of gate voltage for various values of source-drain voltage. For most devices, Vg was swept from 0 V to 80 V for each of the drain voltages measured, typically 40 V, 60 V, and 80 V.

Parameters extracted from the data include field-effect mobility (μ), threshold voltage (Vth), subthreshold slope (S), and the ratio of Ion/Ioff for the measured drain current. The field-effect mobility was extracted in the saturation region, where V_(d)>V_(g)−V_(th). In this region, the drain current is given by the equation (see Sze in Semiconductor Devices—Physics and Technology, John Wiley & Sons (1981)):

$I_{d} = {\frac{W}{2L}\mu \; {C_{ox}\left( {V_{g} - V_{th}} \right)}^{2}}$

Where, W and L are the channel width and length, respectively, and COX is the capacitance of the oxide layer, which is a function of oxide thickness and dielectric constant of the material. Given this equation, the saturation field-effect mobility was extracted from a straight-line fit to the linear portion of the √I_(d) versus V_(g) curve. The threshold voltage, V_(th), is the x-intercept of this straight-line fit. Mobilities can also be extracted from the linear region, where V_(d)≦V_(g)−V_(th). Here the drain current is given by the equation (see Sze in Semiconductor Devices—Physics and Technology, John Wiley & Sons (1981)):

$I_{d} = {\frac{W}{L}\mu \; {C_{ox}\left\lbrack {{V_{d}\left( {V_{g} - V_{th}} \right)} - \frac{V_{d}^{2}}{2}} \right\rbrack}}$

For these experiments, mobilities in the linear regime were not extracted, since this parameter is very much affected by any injection problems at the contacts. In general, non-linearities in the curves of I_(d) versus V_(d) at low V_(d) indicate that the performance of the device is limited by injection of charge by the contacts. In order to obtain results that are largely independent of contact imperfections of a given device, the saturation mobility rather than the linear mobility was extracted as the characteristic parameter of device performance.

The log of the drain current as a function of gate voltage was plotted. Parameters extracted from the log I_(d) plot include the I_(on)/I_(off) ratio and the sub-threshold slope (S). The I_(on)/I_(off) ratio is simply the ratio of the maximum to minimum drain current, and S is the inverse of the slope of the I_(d) curve in the region over which the drain current is increasing (i.e. the device is turning on).

D. Results The following examples demonstrate that control over conformation of substituents in cyclohexane rings in N—N′-disubstituted-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimides provides significantly improved n-channel semiconductor films. Comparison Example 1

This example demonstrates the n-type TFT device made from an configurationally mixed (1:1 mixture of cis and trans) N-cyclohexyl-N′-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide C-1.

A heavily doped silicon wafer with a thermally-grown SiO₂ layer with a thickness of 185 nm was used as the substrate. The wafer was cleaned for 10 minutes in a piranah solution, followed by a 6-minute exposure in a UV/ozone chamber. The cleaned surface was then treated with a self-assembled monolayer of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), made from a heptane solution under a humidity-controlled environment. Water contact angles and layer thicknesses were measured to ensure the quality of the treated surface. Surfaces with a good quality OTS layer have water contact angles >90°, and thicknesses determined from ellipsometry in the range of 27 Å to 35 Å.

The purified configurationally mixed N-cyclohexyl-N′-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide C-1 was deposited by vacuum sublimation at a pressure of 2×10⁻⁷ Torr and a rate of 0.1 Angstroms per second to a thickness of 17-20 nm as measured by a quartz crystal. During deposition the substrate was held at room temperature of 20° C. The sample was exposed to air for a short time prior to subsequent deposition of Au source and drain electrodes through a shadow mask to a thickness of 50 nm. The devices made had a 600 micron channel width, with channel lengths varying from 50 to 150 microns. Multiple OTFTs were prepared and representative samples of 4 to 8 OTFTs were tested for each deposition run. The averaged results appear in Table 1 below.

The devices were exposed to air prior to measurement in an argon atmosphere using a Hewlett-Packard 4145B® semiconductor parameter analyzer. For each transistor, the field effect mobility, μ, was calculated from the slope of the (I_(D))^(1/2) versus V_(G) plot. The average mobility was found to be 0.4 cm²/Vs in the saturation region. The average on-off ratio was 1.3×10⁶, and the average threshold voltage was 41.63V. Saturation mobilities of up to 0.5 cm²/Vs were measured for devices prepared in this way.

Example 2

This example demonstrates the improved performance of an n-type TFT device using N-cyclohexyl-N′-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide (Compound I-2) in accordance with the present invention.

An n-type TFT device comprising Compound I-2 as the active material was made as described earlier. Accordingly, Compound I-2 was deposited by vacuum sublimation at a pressure of 2×10⁻⁷ Torr and a rate of 0.1 Angstroms per second to a thickness of 20 nm as measured by a quartz crystal. During deposition the substrate was held at room temperature of 25° C. The sample was exposed to air for a short time prior to subsequent deposition of Au source and drain electrodes through a shadow mask to a thickness of 50 nm. The devices made had an approximately 600 micron channel width, with channel lengths varying from 50 to 150 microns. Multiple organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were prepared and representative sample of 4 to 8 OTFTs were tested for each deposition run. The averaged results appear in Table 1 below.

The devices were exposed to air prior to measurement in an argon atmosphere using a Hewlett-Packard 4145B® semiconductor parameter analyzer. The average field effect mobility, μ, was calculated from the slope of the (I_(D))/versus V_(G) plot to be 1.1 cm²/Vs in the saturation region. The average on/off ratio was 1.5×10⁷ and the average threshold voltage V_(T)=51. 1 V. Saturation mobilities of up to 2 cm²/Vs were measured from similar devices prepared in this way.

TABLE 1 Active OTFT μ Material (cm²/Vs) σ (μ) V_(th) (V) σ (V_(th)) I_(on)/I_(off) Comparison C-1 0.40 0.215 49.4 2.09 1.07 × 10⁷ Example 1 Inventive I-2 1.1 0.227 39.6 12.94  3.5 × 10⁷ Example 2

This example clearly demonstrates the advantage of using Compound I-2 as n-type material in a thin film transistor. The mobility is improved by a factor of approximately 2.5 over Comparative Example C-1, demonstrating the advantageous effect on device performance of conformational control over methyl substituted cyclohexane ring in organic semiconductor compound 1-2 used in the device.

Example 3

This example demonstrates the improved performance of an n-type TFT device using N-cyclohexyl-N′-(cis-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide (Compound I-18) in accordance with the present invention.

An n-type TFT device comprising Compound I-18 as the active material was made as described earlier. Accordingly, Compound I-18 was deposited by vacuum sublimation at a pressure of 2×10⁻⁷ Torr and a rate of 0.1 Angstroms per second to a thickness of 20 nm as measured by a quartz crystal. During deposition the substrate was held at room temperature of 25° C. The sample was exposed to air for a short time prior to subsequent deposition of Au source and drain electrodes through a shadow mask to a thickness of 50 nm. The devices made had an approximately 600 micron channel width, with channel lengths varying from 50 to 150 microns. Multiple organic thin film transistors (OTFTS) were prepared and representative sample of 4 to 8 OTFTs were tested for each deposition run. The averaged results appear in Table 2 below.

The devices were exposed to air prior to measurement in an argon atmosphere using a Hewlett-Packard 4145B® semiconductor parameter analyzer.

The average field effect mobility, μ, was calculated from the slope of the (I_(D))^(1/2) versus V_(G) plot to be 1.7 cm²/Vs in the saturation region. The average on/off ratio was 1.5×10⁷ and the average threshold voltage V_(T)=51. 1 V. Saturation mobilities of up to 2 cm²/Vs were measured from similar devices prepared in this way.

TABLE 2 Active OTFT μ Material (cm²/Vs) σ (μ) V_(th) (V) σ (V_(th)) I_(on)/I_(off) Comparison C-1 0.40 0.215 49.4 2.09 1.07 × 10⁷ Example 1 Inventive I-18 1.7 0.125 32.8 1.74  4.7 × 10⁷ Example 3

This example clearly demonstrates the advantage of using Compound I-18 as n-type material in a thin film transistor. The mobility is improved by a factor of approximately 4 over Comparative Example C-1, demonstrating the advantageous effect on device performance of conformational control over methyl substituted cyclohexane ring in organic semiconductor compound I-18 used in the device.

The following examples demonstrate that control over conformation of 4-methyl substituents in cyclohexane rings in N—N′-bis(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimides provides significantly improved n-channel semiconductor films. Thus, compared to a configurationally mixed analog, the performance of devices comprising inventive configurationally pure N,N′-bis(trans 4-methylclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic acid diimide I-1 provides significantly improved n-channel semiconductor films having high field effect mobility.

Comparison Example 4

This example demonstrates the n-type TFT device made from an configurationally mixed (1:2:1 mixture of cis and trans) N—N′-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide C-2.

Test devices were prepared as described in Comparison Example 1. Accordingly, the purified configurationally mixed N—N′-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide C-2 was deposited at room temperature by vacuum sublimation at a pressure of 2×10⁻⁷ Torr and a rate of 0.1 Angstroms per second to a thickness of 20 nm as measured by a quartz crystal. Au source and drain electrodes were deposited through a shadow mask to a thickness of 50 nm. The devices made had a 650 micron channel width, with channel lengths varying from 50 to 150 microns. Multiple OTFTs were prepared and representative samples of 4 to 12 OTFTs were tested for each deposition run. The averaged results appear in Table 4 below. For example for a device with channel length of 150 microns the average mobility was found to be 0.7 cm²/Vs in the saturation region. The average on-off ratio was 1.3×10⁶, and the average threshold voltage was 41.63V. Saturation mobilities of up to 0.9 cm²/Vs were measured for devices prepared in this way.

Example 5

This example demonstrates the improved performance of an n-type TFT device using N—N′-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide (Compound I-1) in accordance with the present invention.

An n-type TFT device comprising Compound I-1 as the active material was made as in Example 1. The devices made had an approximately 600 micron channel width, with channel lengths varying from 50 to 150 microns. Multiple organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were prepared and representative sample of 4 to 12 OTFTs were tested for each deposition run. The averaged results appear in Table 3 below. Accordingly, for a typical device with a channel length of 150 microns the field effect mobility, μ, was calculated from the slope of the (I_(D))^(1/2) versus V_(G) plot to be 2.48 cm²/Vs in the saturation region. The typical on/off ratio was 4×10⁷ and the average threshold voltage V_(T)=42 V. Saturation mobilities of up to 5 cm²/Vs were measured from similar devices prepared in this way.

TABLE 3 Active OTFT μ Material (cm²/Vs) σ (μ) V_(th) (V) σ (V_(th)) I_(on)/I_(off) Comparison C-2 0.7 0.17 37.5 2.6 1.19 × 10⁷ Example 4 Inventive I-1 2.48 0.462 44.1 11.12   6 × 10⁷ Example 5

The foregoing example (in Table 3) clearly demonstrates the advantage of using Compound I-1 as n-type material in a thin film transistor. The mobility is improved by a factor of approximately 3.5 over Comparative Example C-2, demonstrating the advantageous effect on device performance of conformational control over methyl substituted cyclohexane rings in organic semiconductor compound I-1 used in the device.

PARTS LIST

-   20 source electrode -   28 substrate -   30 drain electrode -   44 gate electrode -   56 gate dielectric -   70 semiconductor 

1. An article comprising, in a thin film transistor, a thin film of organic semiconductor material that comprises a configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide compound having two independently substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic rings each attached to each imide nitrogen with the proviso that at least one of the two alicyclic rings is necessarily a 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring in which a substituent at its 4-position is its sole substituent on the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring other than its imide nitrogen attachment, wherein said substituent is stereochemically disposed as (only one of) either an essentially trans or essentially cis position, respectively, to the imide nitrogen substituent.
 2. The article of claim 1, wherein the N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide compound is represented by the following general Structures I(a) and I(b):

wherein Structure I(b) represents a cis configuration with respect to the R⁴ group, and Structure I(a) represents a trans configuration with respect to the R⁴ group; R⁴ is an inorganic or organic substituent; A₁ is a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic ring system comprising 4 to 10 carbons in the ring; Y groups are independently selected organic or inorganic groups that do not adversely affect the n-type semiconductor properties of the film made from such compounds, and wherein m is any integer from 0 to
 4. 3. The article of claim 2, wherein A₁ is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclohexyl ring, which if substituted can be cis, trans, or a mixture thereof.
 4. The article of claim 2 wherein R₄ is selected from CH₃, linear or branched C₂-C₈ alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, or other organic group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
 5. The article of claim 1 wherein the thin film transistor is a field effect transistor comprising a dielectric layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode, and wherein the dielectric layer, the gate electrode, the thin film of organic semiconductor material, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are in any sequence as long as the gate electrode and the thin film of organic semiconductor material both contact the dielectric layer, and the source electrode and the drain electrode both contact the thin film of organic semiconductor material.
 6. The article of claim 1 wherein the thin film of organic semiconductor material is capable of exhibiting electron mobility greater than 0.01 cm²/Vs.
 7. The article of claim 2 wherein A₁ is a monocyclic ring or bicyclic alicyclic hydrocarbon ring.
 8. The article of claim 2 wherein the Y groups are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, arylalkyl, fluorine, chlorine, cyano, fluorine-containing alkyl, carbonyl-containing, and carboxy-containing groups.
 9. The article of claim 2 wherein the A₁ ring system is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclohexyl or cyclopentyl ring.
 10. The article of claim 2, wherein the thin film of organic semiconductor material comprises a N,N′-dicylcoalkyl-substituted-1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid dimide compound represented by the following Structures II(a) and (b):

wherein R⁴ on a primary cyclohexyl ring is an organic or inorganic substituent, and R⁸ on a secondary cyclohexyl ring system is independently H or an inorganic or organic substituent, wherein each of R⁴ and, if substituted, R⁸ are either one, but only one, of an essentially trans or cis configuration with respect to the attachment to the imine nitrogen.
 11. The article of claim 10 wherein R⁴ and R⁸ groups are both organic groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
 12. The article of claim 11 wherein both of the primary and secondary cyclohexyl ring systems in the compound comprise a single substituent other than the attachment at the imine nitrogen.
 13. The article of claim 2 wherein the A₁ ring system in the structure is a monocyclic alicyclic ring system having 5 to 6 carbon ring atoms, unsubstituted or substituted.
 14. The article of claim 1 wherein both of said alicyclic rings in the compound are cyclohexyl rings and wherein the alicyclic ring other than the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring is either not substituted or, like the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring, has a sole substituent other than the attachment at the imine nitrogen.
 15. The article of claim 1, wherein in said structure the substituents, if any, on the alicyclic ring other than the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring are selected from CH₃, linear or branched C₂-C₈ alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, or other organic group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
 16. The article of claim 2, wherein in said structures the R⁴ group is selected from C₁-C₈ organic group.
 17. The article of claim 16, wherein in said structures the organic groups are selected from CH₃, linear or branched C₂-C₈ alkyl, C₁-C₈ alkylene, C₁-C₈ alkoxy, C₁-C₈ carbonyl-containing, and carboxy or carbonyl-containing groups.
 18. The article of claim 2, wherein A¹ is substituted with a moiety comprising a N,N′-cycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboiximide group, attached directly or indirectly through one of its imide nitrogens.
 19. The article of claim 2, wherein R⁴ is an inorganic substituent selected from the group consisting of nitro, fluorine, cyano, amino, and sulfo.
 20. The article of claim 10 wherein the secondary alicyclic ring has a single substituent other than the imine attachment.
 21. The article of claim 1, wherein the thin film transistor has an on/off ratio of a source/drain current of at least
 104. 22. The article of claim 5, wherein the gate electrode is adapted for controlling, by means of a voltage applied to the gate electrode, a current between the source and drain electrodes through the thin film of organic semiconductor material.
 23. The article of claim 5 wherein the dielectric layer comprises an inorganic or organic electrically insulating material.
 24. The article of claim 1 wherein the thin film transistor further comprises a non-participating support that is optionally flexible.
 25. The article of claim 5 wherein the source, drain, and gate electrodes each independently comprise a material selected from doped silicon, metal, and a conducting polymer.
 26. An electronic device selected from the group consisting of integrated circuits, active-matrix display, and solar cells comprising a multiplicity of thin film transistors according to claim
 1. 27. The electronic device of claim 26 wherein the multiplicity of the thin film transistors is on a non-participating support that is optionally flexible.
 28. A process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device, comprising, not necessarily in the following order, the steps of: (a) depositing, onto a substrate, a thin film of n-channel organic semiconductor material that comprises a configurationally controlled N,N′-dicycloalkyl-substituted naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis-carboximide compound having a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic ring independently attached to each imide nitrogen atom with the proviso that at least one of the two alicyclic rings is necessarily a 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring in which a substituent at the 4-position is the sole substituent on the 4-substituted cyclohexyl ring other than the imide attachment; with such substituent being stereochemically disposed as only one of either an essentially trans or cis position, respectively, to the imide nitrogen substituent, such that the organic semiconductor material exhibits a field effect electron mobility that is greater than 0.01 cm²/Vs; (b) forming a spaced apart source electrode and drain electrode, wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are separated by, and electrically connected with, the n-channel semiconductor film; and (c) forming a gate electrode spaced apart from the organic semiconductor material.
 29. The process of claim 28, wherein said compound is deposited on the substrate by sublimation and wherein the substrate has a temperature of no more than 100° C. during deposition.
 30. The process of claim 28, wherein the compound is N,N′-(trans-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide, N,N′-(trans-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide, or N,N′-(cis-4-methyl-cyclohexyl, cyclohexyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8tetracarboxylic acid diimide. 